Video: Clacton Pier’s Helter Skelter topples under battering from North Sea winds

The pier was evacuated prior to the storm and rides and attractions were secured however staff and security were unable to prevent the damage to the exposed rollercoaster.

Administration Manager at Clacton Pier, Sharon Charters, said they had called in Helter Skelter specialists to assist in rebuilding the iconic ride.

She told the EADT: “Around 7am this morning, obviously due to the high winds, the pier had been evacuated and the only people around were management and night watch security. The high winds toppled over the Helter Skelter, it sustained quite a lot of damage, there was nothing anybody could do really it was just due to the force of nature.

“The ride has now been dismantled and taken into our workshop, we have been in touch with some of the Helter Skelter people up and down the country who are going to be on site tomorrow with a view to us formulating a plan to get the ride back up and running as soon as we can.”

Ms Charters was unable to say when the Helter Skelter might be operational again.

Some members of the public were left disappointed after traveling to Clacton Pier to go on the ride.

Scott O’Rourke hoped to have a restful day at the amusement park having climbed Mount Snowden in Wales the night before.

“We were planning to go on some of the rides, with a day off from work and what-not we thought we’d come up for the day,” he said. “But obviously with the wind it’s a no today.

“I was climbing Mount Snowden last night until about 1am this morning, I was probably sleeping through all of what we had down this way so it’s not affected me… I’m quite lucky really compared to some people.”

Clacton saw some of the stormiest weather yesterday morning. Valerie Stannard, from London, spent the night with her son in the seaside town, she described the weather as “terrible”.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. Only the one I saw in 1987, the hurricane we had then, but I think it’s going to get worse.”